Workmen's advocate., 1887-11-12

the pallern ol tue ''repuDllcan or democratic parties, with perma- nent presiding officers, almi ighty and irresponsible committees, Ward pri- marie, corrupt and packed State, county and city conventions whose delegates are blindly obeying the command of their State, District and Ward bosses when voting for the adoption of platforms, resolutions or nominated candidates, you cannot but expect any othor results as those of which we complain at present, and as produced by the old machines themselves. Equal causes produce equal results. Whenever q political movement is directed by a machine whose gear and motive power have been patterned after the corrupt ma chimes of the capitallstic criminal parties, one ought not to be aston ished if the immediate result be boss
 ism, weakening of platforms, expul- sion of the honest, uncompromising, determined, and never retrograding elements. And this is the very thing we have just been witnessing.
 For this reason, some means should be found to obyiate such evils in the political movement. And, we blieye it has been found. Given the fact that it is no longer of any detriment to the existence of a trades union, that politics be discussed at it's meet ings, why should not such organiza- tions make it part of their regular business and duties to occupy them selves with the politics of their com munitics, states, and the nation :? If this were done there would be no need for a separate machine. And this is the solution to a question which seemed to be so very puzzling
 The thing is as simple US it can be. We all know that it is a difficult, nay, an almost impossible job, to corrupt a trades organization; and they cannot be ruled by bosses for any length of time because their members are too intelligent, too &C., tive, too vigilant; their personal in- terest is too great as to neglect par ticipating in the business of the union, and thus its officers are con- tinually being watched and con trolled, and held responsible for any mistakes and misdemeanors. While the delegates to political bodies, and the members of nominating caucus os, conventions and committees can be reached only with great difficulty by their constituents; and if they have performed their corrupt work, and carried out their treacherous bargains, if they have made some nondescript platform, it is, generally, too late to redress the dolngs of the scoundrels, and the people have to "put up" with the consequences.
 It is for this reason that 7He Ham, mer, official organ of the Metal Workers Union of North America, proposes to its trades union contem- poraries to agitate in favor of the idea that, henccforth, the business of politics, which has become a nec- essary factor in the labor movement, be transacted by the unions directly. The Unions, whose members can be relied upon in regard to politics, should not fail to discuss labor poli- tics at any one of their meetings. They should make it obligatory in order to further their educational mission in this respect. The poltl- cal events of the week, the matters before the legislatures when in ses- sion, the doings of the public serv- ants in National, State and Munich pal offices, all should be freely and frequently discussed with a view of changing the official personnel when. ever their actions or the law should warrant such steps, at which occa sions a canvass should be made among the members to ascertain whom they believe to be fitted among their number to fill such offices to be vacated by others. The working men are better judges of the ability. honesty, integrity of men with whom they come into contact than rumsel lers, corner loafers, crafty lawyers, priests, "reyerends," cunning news paper editors, and similar person ages who at present are running tn